In the field of dermatological compositions, a wide variety of formulations have been developed and commercialized. Such compositions include cosmetic formulations, skin care formulations and pharmaceutical formulations for topical administration of therapeutic agents to treat or prevent disease states and adverse physiological conditions.
Many such dermatological compositions have been formulated with preservatives such as parabens and other organic chemical compounds. Generally, it is advantageous to formulate dermatological compositions that are free of such preservatives or that otherwise minimize the amounts of such preservatives.
Concurrently, there is a progressive movement toward dermatological compositions having natural product ingredients, consistent with the goals of achieving enhanced biocompatibility, under the impetus of increasing environmental awareness, and avoiding adverse reactions that may occur in the use of dermatological compositions employing petroleum-based or other synthetic product ingredients.
Dermatological compositions frequently are formulated with humectant ingredients of widely varying types. Urea is a beneficial humectant, which has the additional advantages of keratolytic activity, and at higher concentrations the ability to solublize and denature proteins and the ability to exert mild antibacterial effects. Ammonium lactate is another humectant ingredient having desirable properties in dermatological compositions.
It would be a significant advance in the art to provide improved dermatological compositions that avoid high concentrations of traditional petroleum-derived formulation ingredients, that are free of conventional preservatives, that utilize natural product ingredients, and that are broadly useful for cosmetic, skin-care and pharmaceutical applications.